Independent participatory media for Iran

A group of Iranian MPs is collecting signatures in order to summon Culture Minister Ali Jannati to Parliament for questioning.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Parliament’s Cultural Commission has warned the culture minister that his impeachment will result if eight films, which have already been criticized by the commission, are released.

The eight films are being slammed by conservative members of Parliament as “seditious”, which is how the establishment describes the opposition movement that challenged the legitimacy of the 2009 election.

In addition to the films’ political content, the MPs have pointed to their depiction of male-female relationships and how those couples communicate as “non-compliant with Sharia fundamentals.”

Earlier, the minister was urged earlier to block the screening of eight films that the commission had deemed unsuitable. The minister rejected that call, saying that his ministry alone is responsible for deciding whether the films should or should not be screened.

The Rohani administration has been repeatedly slammed by Islamic Republic hardliners, especially in the areas of culture and education, for trying to enact more reformist policies.